Water jacket for electric discharge devices



Nov. 17, 1936. M. A. ACHESON WATER JACKET FOR ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICESFiled May 18 Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES WATER JACKET FORELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICES Marcus A. Acheson, Schenectady, N. Y.,assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication May 18, 1927, Serial No. 192,429

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to cooling devices and more particularlyto a cooling arrange- .ment for high power electric discharge devices.

In the use of discharge devices employing water cooled anodes, itfrequently happens, when the water jacket is spaced any considerabledistance from the anode,that bubbles form on the exterior of the anodeand prevent proper contact of the cooling fluid with the anode at thatpoint. To overcome this difficulty, it has been customary to provide avery narrow space between the water jacket and anode and to supply waterunder pressure to this space. As thus arranged the film of cooling fluidis so thin and the velocity of the water so high that bubbles will notform. An arrangement of this character works very well when the anode isrelatively short, as for example, about twelve inches long. If longeranodes are employed, however, there is a tendency, when the water jacketis clamped to the discharge device, to press the jacket against portionsof the anode and thereby provide surfaces which are not in contact withthe cooling fluid. As a result the tube is not properly cooled at thepoint of contact with the jacket and may be very quickly burned up ormay gas due to insufflcient cooling. This difliculty is likely to beparticularly pronounced with high power tubes having elongated anodessuch for example as kw. tubes which employ anodes approximately 40inches in length.

To prevent burning out or gassing of such tubes on account of impropercooling, I have provided an arrangement whereby the discharge device maybe mounted in a strong metal casing or water jacket of relatively largediameter. A thin, hollow casing or sleeve of metal or other suitablematerial is flexibly mounted in the jacket and is arranged to enclosethe anode and to provide a very narrow space between its walls and thewalls of the anode. The flexible joint or connection between the sleeveand water jacket allows the sleeve to take up a correct position aboutthe anode even though the anode is tightly clamped in the jacket and maybe somewhat out of line with the jacket. Such an arrangement provides auniform and very thin wall of cooling fluid which may be circulated athigh velocity about the anode.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of the inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, however, will best be understood from reference to the followingspecification when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which the single figure shows partly in section and partly inelevation an electric discharge device or tube partly broken away andhaving a Water jacket embodying the features of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 5 there is indicated anelectric discharge device of about 100 kw. capacity having the usualupper glass sleeve portion I and a lower copper anode 2 provided with aflange 3.- Anode 2 is surrounded by a relatively heavy metal casing orwater jacket 4 which has an inner flange 5 at its upper end on which theflange 3 of the discharge device may be clamped in any suitable manner.The lower end of jacket 4 is provided with a downwardly extending flange6 to which a cup-shaped member 1 provided with an opening 8 is flexiblyattached by means of a rubber or other suitable connector 9 permittingmovement in all direc tions. A thin metallic sleeve or casing l0 extendsthrough the opening 8, the upper end of 20 the sleeve being enlarged andhaving a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the anode 2.

At a plurality of points on the sleeve, the metal thereof is indented,as indicated at H, to space the sleeve from the anode and to provide aplu- 25 rality of point contacts therewith. A flexible hose l2 may beattached to the lower end of sleeve to, while a second hose, not shown,may be attached to an outlet pipe l3 mounted in the lower end of thecasing or water jacket 4. 0

When water or other cooling fluid is supplied through hose IE it flowsat relatively high velocity upwardly through the narrow space betweenthe sleeve ill and anode 2 and downwardly to the outlet pipe l3providing a thin film of 35 cooling fluid substantially free fromstationary bubbles. The space between sleeve l0 and. anode 2 may beapproximately 3% of an inch wide. I have found that such a space givesvery satisfactory results when employed with elongated anode structures.The flexible connection 9 between the inner sleeve or casing Ill and theanode 2 allows relative lateral movement between the casing and thedischarge device permitting the sleeve to closely surround the anodewithout contacting with it over any extensive surface area even thoughthe anode and jacket may be somewhat out of alignment. At the same timethe flexible connection permits the rapid assembly of the jacket andtube since accurate spacing of the 50 anode and jacket are unnecessary.

Although I have shown the sleeve H] as having a smooth wall, obviouslythe wall may be corrugated if desired. Various other changes willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. A cooling container for an electron discharge device comprising acylindrical outer member having an enlarged opening adapted to receivethe anode of an external anode device, an inner partition adapted to beinterposed between said anode and said outer member and means on saidpartition adapted to contact said anode for centering said anode in thecontainer.

2. A cooling container for an electron discharge device comprising acylindrical outer member having an enlarged opening adapted to receivethe anode of an external anode device, an inner partition adapted to beinterposed between said anode and said outer member, and indentations insaid partition adapted to contact said anode for centering said anode inthe container.

3. In combination, an electric discharge device provided with anexternal electrode which requires cooling during operation, a casingsurrounding said electrode, a sleeve mounted in said casing and spacedfrom said electrode, said sleeve being spaced substantially throughoutits entire length from said casing, the space between said sleeve andcasing being in communication with the space between the sleeve and theelectrode whereby fluid may be caused to pass throughboth of said spacesfor cooling said electrode.

4. A cooling jacket for an external anode discharge device, said jacketcomprising the combination of a chamber adapted to be placed aroundsaid'anode, said chamber having an inlet port for a cooling medium-atone end and a peripheral opening at the other end, a second chamberenclosing said first chamber and being spaced therefrom oversubstantially its entire length, said second chamber having an outletport at its end'remote from said peripheral opening whereby the inletand outlet ports are brought out from the sameend of the jacket.

5. In combination, an electric discharge device provided with anelectrode which requires cooling during operation, a casing surroundingsaid electrode, a sleeve in said casing and spaced from said electrode,and means for supplying cooling fluid throughout the entire spacebetween the sleeve and the electrode, and between the sleeve and thecasing.

6. In combination, an electric discharge device provided with anexternal electrode which requires cooling during operation, a sleevesurrounding said electrode, a casing surrounding said sleeve, saidsleeve being spaced a relatively small distance from said electrode, andmeans including a flexible connection between said sleeve and casing formaintaining the spacing between opposed faces of the electrode andsleeve substantially uniform.

'7. In combination, an electron discharge device having a cup-shapedanode, and a cooling container surrounding said anode, said containerhaving inlet and outlet ports at one end and comprising coaxial innerand outer coextensive tubular members forming channels around saidanode, said inner member being supported by said outer member adjacentto said outlet port, said channels having a continuous circularcommunicating passageway at one end of said container.

8. In combination, an electron discharge device having a cup-shapedexternal anode, and a cooling container surrounding said anode, saidcontainer comprising coaxial inner and outer tubular members formingchannels around said anode, said channels having individual aperturedopenings at one end of said container and a common peripheral passagewayat the other end thereof, said inner member having a portion extendingoutwardly from said outer member through one of said openings.

9. A mounting for an external anode discharge device comprising'achamber adapted to be placed around the anode of said device, saidchamber having an inlet port for a cooling medium at one end and aperipheral opening at the other end, and a second chamber enclosing saidfirst chamber having an outlet port therein adjacent to said inlet port,said second chamber being adapted to support said anode andcommunicating with said peripheral opening.

MARCUS A. ACHESON.

